Benchmade. Thoughts?

[derrickbouwman]

Let’s hope it’s not exactly as it looks.

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[orbowhunt]

Why is this even an issue? My understanding is that it's common practice for police to destroy confiscated firearms. If this gets turned into a 2nd amendment issue, then we've gone too far.

 

[Casual Poacher]

Probably PR necessary for survival since they're surrounded by idiots in PDX. Keep Portland weird...

 

[badshot]

I live in Oregon City, benchmade is literally less that half mile from the police station. Everyone can make of this what they will. I am a huge 2a supporter but aside from the PR hit of it going viral, I dont see the issue with a company doing something for free that the city would probably wastefully spend taxpayers money on hiring a company to destroy the very same guns. But that's just my 2 cents, oh and I am more of a kershaw guy myself due to their warehouse sale.

 

[Downeaster]

As a 2a guy i find it distasteful, that being said im not selling my benchmade stuff and refusing to buy more. Just leaves a weird taste as a gun guy, especially knowing how lib OR is. Non-issue i guess in light of everything else going on in the world.

 

[orbowhunt]

After reading some of those facebook comments, I'm shocked by the amount of people actually upset over this. People need to chill out. Recreational outrage.

 

[fatlander]

I used to work for a state game and fish department. The law enforcement had their own chop saw set up to destroy confiscated guns. I always thought it was dumb and the guns should have been auctioned to put more money back into conservation.

I really don’t see the issue with benchmade helping out local LE. I like my cutco hunter better than any benchmade anyway.


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[AlaskaEd]

The problem for a lot of folks, me included, is what was found after this blew up, not the initial outrage. Benchmade and the owner’s political donations are nearly 100% donated to Democrats that have voted against gun rights for many years. I have been a huge Benchmade fan for about 15 years, own maybe 20 or so, and always recommend them to everyone looking for a nice knife. Unless Benchmade does something drastic to win me back, that’ll be it for me. Sad too, I love that they are a 100% American made knife co., unlike most of their big competitors. Oh well, I’ll be supporting smaller knife makers I guess.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Benchmade and the owner’s political donations are nearly 100% donated to Democrats that have voted against gun rights for many years.

I'm not disputing or doubting your words. Do you have absolute proof of this? There must be record of it that we can see.

As for cutting up confiscated guns, it makes little logic. I think it conveys a sense of destroying evil, but you might as well cut up every car used in a crime.

 

[eamyrick]

While I don’t like it, the PDs hands are likely tied on this. Where I work, the city council passed a resolution that prohibits the city from selling guns. I get it, making 200 bucks off a box of shot out HKs isn’t worth the possible liability if one was sold and used in a violent crime. It would make sense that the city would have zero liability but this simply isn’t the case it the litigious world we live in these days.

2nd-While gun backs really smell funny to me, they serve a purpose at reducing access to firearms for people unwilling to take responsibility for them. A lot of them are junk handed down to family members who don’t want them. I’d rather them give them up than Felon Cousin Jerry steal one after Thanksgiving dinner and put a bullet through some poor gas station clerks head.

And Benchmade...I would have politely passed on the photo op.

 

[Desk Jockey]

The problem for a lot of folks, me included, is what was found after this blew up, not the initial outrage. Benchmade and the owner’s political donations are nearly 100% donated to Democrats that have voted against gun rights for many years. I have been a huge Benchmade fan for about 15 years, own maybe 20 or so, and always recommend them to everyone looking for a nice knife. Unless Benchmade does something drastic to win me back, that’ll be it for me. Sad too, I love that they are a 100% American made knife co., unlike most of their big competitors. Oh well, I’ll be supporting smaller knife makers I guess.

Not disagreeing with the above, but I think Oregon has been solidly democratic since the Reagan era right? Democratic senators and congressman across the board now. Not familiar with the local politics but I assume it is pretty democratic below the national level. If you are a business owner looking to make friends, don’t you kind of have to donate to the people who are or will be in power?

 

[ODB]

I get that some guns are destined to be destroyed, but as an outdoor company who caters to hunting/gun folks (tactical as well), very poor optics. Grinders are cheap, maybe we should donate one to the PD and send a note to Benchmade that, while it may have been just an assist, it leaves a bad taste in the mouth of a nervous and loyal public of customers.

 

[LandYacht]

Not buying a product that works for you because the company doesn’t align politically with your ballot is something that I’ve never understood.

I understand the argument that they will then use your money to further a political agenda that you don’t support.

However, I still give gifts to friends and family that don’t have the same political ballot on Election Day that I have. The same argument could be used that they will be able to use the money they saved by not having to buy the item I gave them to support their ballot and not mine.


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[Btaylor]

I have an old ML that would cost a lot more to fix than it is worth. Took it to the police station and asked to have it destroyed. They looked at me like I had 3 heads but referred me to State police. So I called a trooper buddy and asked if they destroyed guns and he said no. One last attempt, I called a friend at ATF and he said throw it in a dumpster or the river LOL. While I agree with the maybe bad optics, there are times where a disposal route would be handy.

 

[lyle_destroys]

FPC is looking into it and has requested public records of tye destroying of firearms by that department. Benchmade has also donated thousands of dollars to Democrats in 2016 and 2018 elections. FPC also made this information available. Personally I dont buy many knives, but next time I do it wont be a benchmade. Whether or not you agree with amy of this, FPC is doing a great job standing up for our 2nd amendment rights. Not like the fudd NRA.

 

[ODB]

I have an old ML that would cost a lot more to fix than it is worth. Took it to the police station and asked to have it destroyed. They looked at me like I had 3 heads but referred me to State police. So I called a trooper buddy and asked if they destroyed guns and he said no. One last attempt, I called a friend at ATF and he said throw it in a dumpster or the river LOL. While I agree with the maybe bad optics, there are times where a disposal route would be handy.

Just odd an outdoor company volunteered for this. No machine shops in Oregon City? A knife company wouldn’t be my first call when I needed a chop saw. PD does’t have an armorer? No claim of conspiracy, but pretty shallow thinking and lack of imagination as to how it would all be perceived.

 

[BluMtn]

Their political contributions.

https://postimg.cc/qt3HzfqX

 

[Btaylor]

Just odd an outdoor company volunteered for this. No machine shops in Oregon City? A knife company wouldn’t be my first call when I needed a chop saw. PD does’t have an armorer? No claim of conspiracy, but pretty shallow thinking and lack of imagination as to how it would all be perceived.

I get that completely. An alternate perception though from a hunting point of view would be that here is an outdoor company willling to assist law enforcement with the disposal of confiscated firearms...an outdoors company against criminals and illegally possessed firearms. I fail to see the problem with getting guns out of bad peoples hands and an outdoor company helping dispose of them. I would much rather see that than more effort to take guns out of good peoples hands.

Maybe the way to bring anti hunting , anti gun, pro hunting and pro 2A folks together would be to form a new organization something like the Coalition for the Generally Butt Hurt so if all sides are paying dues together they might try a little harder to get along.

 

[ODB]

I get that completely. An alternate perception though from a hunting point of view would be that here is an outdoor company willling to assist law enforcement with the disposal of confiscated firearms...an outdoors company against criminals and illegally possessed firearms. I fail to see the problem with getting guns out of bad peoples hands and an outdoor company helping dispose of them. I would much rather see that than more effort to take guns out of good peoples hands.

Maybe the way to bring anti hunting , anti gun, pro hunting and pro 2A folks together would be to form a new organization something like the Coalition for the Generally Butt Hurt so if all sides are paying dues together they might try a little harder to get along.

Just seems weirdly ceremonial.

 

[DAOutfitters208]

This seems to be a common theme these days. The virtue signaling has got to stop. Seems more people want to find a reason to be offended and stand of their soap box and destroy each other these days than ever before.